Showing posts with label 'MericaNYC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 'MericaNYC. Show all posts
Friday, October 13, 2017
Space that was 5 restaurants in 1 year now for rent
In one year, 320 E. Sixth St. has been home to:
• Zerza
• 'Merica (for three whole weeks!)
• Zerza again
• Amoun Moroccan Mediterranean Cuisine & Lounge
• Mazmaza
Now the space between First Avenue and Second Avenue is on the rental market. Been waiting for the listing to show up online... but it's not there just yet.
Monday, September 25, 2017
As No. 320 turns: 5 restaurants have come and gone in this space in 1 year
It appears is if 320 E. Sixth St. is without a restaurant again... the gates have been down here between First Avenue and Second Avenue on recent weekends...
This past summer, Mazmaza was the latest restaurant to try the space... taking over from Amoun Moroccan Mediterranean Cuisine & Lounge, which relocated here from the Upper East Side.
There has been a lot of changes at No. 320 since September 2016, when Zerza announced it was closing for renovations. It turned into 'Merica, co-founded by Zach Neil, an owner of the Tim Burton-themed Beetle House as well as the now-closed Stay Classy on Rivington Street. 'Merica, which aspired to satirize the "real America," closed after three weeks in business... with Zerza returning to service for several months.
Monday, June 19, 2017
Mazmaza is the 4th restaurant to try 320 E. 6th St. since last September
Until earlier this month, 320 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue was Amoun Kitchen and Lounge, a Moroccan restaurant and hookah bar...
Then the gates stayed down and someone painted over the Amoun awning... and now the place is Mazmaza, which also serves Moroccan cuisine...
There has been a lot of changes at No. 320 since last September, when Zerza announced it was closing for renovations. Then came 'Merica, co-founded by Zach Neil, an owner of the Tim Burton-themed Beetle House a few doors away on Sixth Street as well as the now-closed Stay Classy, the bar for Will Ferrell fans on Rivington Street. (An investor who teamed up with the owners of Stay Classy is now reportedly suing them.)
'Merica, an alleged attempt at satirizing the "real America," closed after three weeks in business... with Zerza returning to service for four months. Then Amoun now Mazmaza. Next!
Then the gates stayed down and someone painted over the Amoun awning... and now the place is Mazmaza, which also serves Moroccan cuisine...
There has been a lot of changes at No. 320 since last September, when Zerza announced it was closing for renovations. Then came 'Merica, co-founded by Zach Neil, an owner of the Tim Burton-themed Beetle House a few doors away on Sixth Street as well as the now-closed Stay Classy, the bar for Will Ferrell fans on Rivington Street. (An investor who teamed up with the owners of Stay Classy is now reportedly suing them.)
'Merica, an alleged attempt at satirizing the "real America," closed after three weeks in business... with Zerza returning to service for four months. Then Amoun now Mazmaza. Next!
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Last call for the Will Ferrell-themed Stay Classy on Rivington
Stay Classy, the Will Ferrell-themed bar at 174 Rivington St., is closing after service on New Year's Eve, as the Lo-Down first reported yesterday.
The owners plan on holding Stay Classy pop-up events in various cities as they just did in Los Angeles.
As for the space on Rivington between Clinton and Attorney, the owners told the Lo-Down: "We still own the space ... and are installing a new place there which is going to be so awesome can’t wait to start telling people about it!" Stay Classy opened in the fall of 2015.
Stay Classy owners Zach Neil and Brian Link also operate the Tim Burton-themed bar-restaurant Beetle House on Sixth Street. And Neil was the driving force behind 'MericaNYC, which closed after three weeks in the Zerza space.
The owners plan on holding Stay Classy pop-up events in various cities as they just did in Los Angeles.
As for the space on Rivington between Clinton and Attorney, the owners told the Lo-Down: "We still own the space ... and are installing a new place there which is going to be so awesome can’t wait to start telling people about it!" Stay Classy opened in the fall of 2015.
Stay Classy owners Zach Neil and Brian Link also operate the Tim Burton-themed bar-restaurant Beetle House on Sixth Street. And Neil was the driving force behind 'MericaNYC, which closed after three weeks in the Zerza space.
Friday, November 4, 2016
'Merica dream fades as Zerza returns to 6th Street
After less than three weeks in business, 'Merica, described as "the most American bar and restaurant in the world," has apparently closed here on Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (Thanks to EVG regular Creature for the tip.)
The red, white and blue awning now advertises Moroccan Mediterranean food... and the menu for the previous tenant, Zerza, has returned... (now La Zerza)...
It was a whirlwind month or so here. The well-liked Zerza closed in late September. Then came the Facebook page for 'Merica, co-founded by Radoune Eljaouhari, who ran Zerza, and Zach Neil, an owner of the Tim Burton-themed Beetle House a few doors away on Sixth Street as well as Stay Classy, the bar for Will Ferrell fans on Rivington Street.
As Patch reported:
Neil said he, a Christian, and Eljaouhari, a Muslim, bonded over making fun of "all things America." Especially during this election season, they find Americana to be exceptionally funny, Neil said.
"I mean it's just crazy that Donald Trump is running for president," he said.
Crazy, sure, but not really funny.
[Photo from last Friday]
The décor included rifles, NASCAR memorabilia ... as well as TVs showing episodes of the Chuck Norris vehicle "Walker, Texas Ranger." It was supposed to be a humorous, tongue-in-cheek homage to the "real America" ... there were advertised debate nights, where diners could discuss a variety of topics, humorous or otherwise, during this divisive election season. (There was a "House of Cards" trivia and dinner scheduled on Election Night.)
The menu, full of comfort foods with names like the Walmart, the Hog Beast and the Boo Boo Burger, included topical items such as the The T-Rump Mexican Burger and the Hillary Burger, "a 100-calorie lie" — a triple bacon cheeseburger topped with mac and cheese.
Despite some opening publicity (including a segment on "Good Day New York"), the dining room sat empty. (One direct neighbor claims that he never spotted one person inside, other than employees.)
Around 1 a.m. on Wednesday, an EVG reader says that she saw a worker taking the "Taste the Liberty" words off of the awning "using some kind hair drying or torch." Sounds pretty American.
Previously
Friday, October 14, 2016
This 'Merica life
As you may have heard, there's a restaurant opening at 320 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue called 'Merica.
And tomorrow (Saturday!) is the soft opening day for what has been described as a "tongue-in-cheek eatery" featuring décor that includes rifles, NASCAR memorabilia and non-stop episodes of the Chuck Norris vehicle "Walker, Texas Ranger."
The co-founders are Radoune Eljaouhari, who ran Zerza, the previous restaurant in this space ... and Zach Neil, who operates the Tim Burton-themed Beetle House a few doors away as well as Stay Classy, the bar for Will Ferrell fans on Rivington Street.
Here's part of a preview via DNAinfo:
'Merica ... seeks to transport its diners to the "real America" — or at least a humorous, tongue-in-cheek homage to the idea, decked out with race cars and guns, inspired in part by ... Neil's childhood.
"I spent a good portion of my childhood around the backwood, hillbilly southern Republicans, then I moved to Pennsylvania and grew up next to a NASCAR race track," said Neil.
"Imagine the Donald Trump campaign coming to your backyard every weekend."
And here's a look at the menu via the 'Merica Facebook page...
[Click for a bigger view]
As you will see, there isn't any Kanye West-inspired food. An earlier Facebook post noted an item called The Kanye, described as "fried breast of chicken tossed in a creamy rich Alfredo sauce served over mashed potatoes, then drizzled with a balsamic glaze. This meal will make you into a famous rapper and a narcissistic asshole. Ask the public to loan you the money for it. $18."
Neil told Patch.com that "The Kanye" wasn’t really going to be on the menu, that it was just posted on Facebook for "shock value." (That post was later removed.)
Gothamist summed up the whole operation this way:
It's basically this Simpsons clip of the time they went to Japan's Americatown, but somehow real life ...
Previously on EV Grieve:
USA today: 'Merica NYC signage arrives (69 comments)
Zerza has closed on 6th Street; Merica NYC coming soon? (17 comments)
About 'Merica NYC (40 comments)
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
About 'Merica NYC
[Photo by Vinny & O from last Thursday]
There was some confusion about what exactly 'MericaNYC is going to be at 320 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Is it an actual restaurant? Is it just a pop-up creation for the last legs of Election 2016? Is someone just trolling neighbors?
As we understand it, 'America NYC is a venture between the owner of the previous restaurant in this space, Zerza, and his neighbors a few doors away at the Tim Burton-themed Beetle House. (The Beetle House owners, Zach Neil and Brian Link, also operate Stay Classy, the bar for Will Ferrell fans on Rivington Street.)
Zerza owner Radouane Eljaouhari left a lengthy comment about 'Merica NYC, and how it came about, on the EVG post from Friday. He mentioned that Neil would come in from Beetle House for a meal, and that they engaged in wide-ranging conversations on a variety of topics.
Yes I am a restaurateur but I have great interests in other things as well and like many of you, I enjoy debates and politics.
And being an American Muslim from Morocco, I found myself on many occasions to be a link to explain a few questions about my culture and religion, and so many times and to my delight, I find great pleasure in clarifying a few false clichés.
Some readers were turned off by the 'Merica NYC menu items, such as The Kanye, "Fried breast of chicken tossed in a creamy rich Alfredo sause served over mashed potatoes, then drizzled with a balsamic glaze. This meal will make you into a famous rapper and a narcissistic asshole. Ask the public to loan you the money for it."
The menu items have since been removed from 'Merica NYC's Facebook page. At this point we don't know if they are actual menu items or just someone's idea of humor leading up to the grand opening.
In any event, back to Eljaouhari's comment:
At the end of the day, it is going to be a restaurant that will sell two main items: Food and Beverages. It is going to be a business that will provide a few job opportunities to a few students and a few kitchen staff, like us, individuals with families that have obligations to pay their bills. We are all looking forward to succeeding.
Please be patient and give it a chance before you give your verdicts and most importantly wish us luck.
The restaurant is expected to open soon.
Here are some of Neil's Instagram posts from August promoting the new establishment... (Updated 10 a.m.:
A photo posted by Zach Neil (@therealzachneil) on
A photo posted by Zach Neil (@therealzachneil) on
A photo posted by Zach Neil (@therealzachneil) on
A photo posted by Zach Neil (@therealzachneil) on
Oh, and no one really seems to know who Hamad is from those Friday comments.
Previously on EV Grieve:
USA today: 'Merica NYC signage arrives
Zerza has closed on 6th Street; Merica NYC coming soon?
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